Investing In Zimbabwe and How Business Opportunity Works

When it comes to investing in Zimbabwe, there’s a simple truth that successful entrepreneurs have learned and smart investors will agree with

“By the time the opportunity is obvious, it’s no longer an opportunity”

You know what that means right?

For Zimbabwe it means that all those waiting for perfect political, economic or social conditions before they invest, will almost certainly be late for the party, maybe even too late.

Greg Lebedev, an expert investment banker based in America said this at a Business Conference in Harare Zimbabwe, late last year

“Zimbabwe presents massive investment opportunities and the Americans are “late for the party” as some developed economies are already investing in the country.”

Sadly this is also true for many Zimbabweans in the diaspora. Sure there are risks involved in investing, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t invest or start a business, it means you manage the risk. And you do that by ensuring that every risk factor that IS under your control, is controlled.

Managing your investment risk in Zimbabwe will probably mean getting some education (or developing some new relationships with people who already have the right education and can be trusted).

To be clear, i don’t mean academic education – i mean getting some street smarts. Street smarts means you know more than just what the books say about how things are supposed to work. Street smarts is the kind of knowledge that’s gained when you’re in the mix, not from reading a book. Zimbabwe has for a long time proved that that book knowledge alone won’t get you very far.

This means learning about what actually works and the how and who behind it – especially if you’re a foreigner or haven’t been in the country for a while. So think twice before you partner with someone just because they’re you’re friend or because they look good on paper.

In the end though, i think it’s all going to come down to the boldness to act and the smarts to manage your risks – waiting/procrastination is (almost) always a formula for failure.

Call me an optimist but i believe Zimbabwe will become a great nation faster and more suddenly than most people think – and that’s when it will be an obvious opportunity, but it maybe too late for you by then.

Start slow if you have to, but start. When it comes to opportunities in Zimbabwe, the biggest rewards will be in the hands of those who were too smart to be late and too ‘stupid’ to be timid about it.

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78 thoughts on “Investing In Zimbabwe and How Business Opportunity Works”

It all makes sense and all comes down to who is an entrepreneur? He is the guy who spends all his time in the clouds and once a year take a look at what’s going on on earth before going back to his clouds.
Entrepreneurship is not for the fainthearted and Zim is right now the best place to train yourself or to strive if you are already one.

We’re looking for opportunities to get into the Zim market. Let the author of this article kindly get back to us if he could help us in any way.

Max Soutter here, i run the Business Setup Group and i’m the author of the blog. What sort of opportunities are you looking for? We can provide all kinds of services to help you start up or grow a business in Zimbabwe or investing.

A little more about you and what you’re looking for would help me help you.

I agree with every word in the post about business opportunities in Zimbabwe. I visited Zimbabwe on more than six occasions since 2000. By the way I am a Ghanaian. Zimbabwe is a great country with fantastic opportunities. It breaks my heart, when I hear Zimbabweans condemning their own country. Folks, Zimbabwe is a great place. Max, please contact me.

[…] 3) Competitive Analysis – How will you differentiate yourself from those offering something similar? If you’re meeting an established need (as you should in most cases) then you’ll most likely have competition. How can you position your solution as better? Sometimes you may come across a business or investment opportunity that you need to move fast on, as is many times the case when it comes to investing in Zimbabwe […]

[…] are real, very. But so are the opportunities. Be unconventional. Be a positive leader. Be smart. Be quick. Be unselfish and bold. No one except God will hand success to you. And even then, you’ll still […]

its true. robert kiyosaki was in SA early in 2010 and said almost the same thing that Greg Lebedev said. zim is a rich country and very well educated.
people seem to put a lot of emphasis on the risk, but tell me, is there anything in life that is guranteed? life is all about risks, but they have to be calculated. naturally u wnt dive in without doing some homework but its a do or dare thing in the end.

I WOULD LIKE TO OPEN TO KNOW THAT A FORIGNER CAN OPEN A COMPANY IN ZIMBABWE OR HE MUST HAVE A LOCAL PARTNER FOR IT I WANT TO OPEN A CAR COMPANY BRINGING CARS FROM JAPAN AND SELLING IN ZIMBABWE FOR CHEAP PRISE HOW CAN U HELP ME IN THAT I AM CURRENTLY STAYING IN NAMIBIA

its alibaba800@live.com if u need anything about zim contact me .its a good place to start but not in the current conditions but u should start now .i love the country n its people later u wnt have the opportunities to have wt u can have now

[…] business or unique business idea is short on financial muscle, then consider marketing it as an investment opportunity to private investors in Zimbabwe, or in the Diaspora. No matter what industry or sector you’re […]

I have interest in the agricultural sector. I have worked in the field for the past 5 years. I have a business idea and have done my homework, but finding investors has not been easy. Where do I find investors interested in agricultural business?

So so right about “thinking twice” before partnering with someone because “they are your friend (family) or look good on paper”. People were seriously squeezed over the last few years – so business ethics/ survival tactics/word of honour/delivery etc are ‘different’. People got so used to ‘making a plan’/ dealing/hooking things up/connecting to so-and-so etc…so adapting to ‘normality’ is still a bit challenging for many. But yes – i agree with you… it is a good time to invest in zim but issue a disclaimer…due diligence as in any other place but the clichés ‘look beneath the surface’ and ‘read between the lines’ apply

MY COMPANY GREATNESS CATALYST ORIGINATE AND BUILD ATTRACTIVE INVESTMENT DEALS IN SMALL AND MEDIUM COMPANIES WITH RISK MITIGATION STRATEGIES TO BE IMPLEMENTED WHEN THE ACTUAL SCENARIO UNFOLDS.kudzainyabadza@gmail.com

I Visited Zim when i was 14 today m 24 MBA graduate and i want to get back and start a business. i just cannot find a right business opportunity.
Kindly get in contact with me. If anyone has opportunity in Zimbabwe.

Pretty nice post. I just stumbled upon your weblog and wished to say that I’ve really enjoyed surfing around your blog posts. In any case I will be subscribing to your feed and I hope you write again soon!

Hi guys –
I am pursuing an MBA in Mumbai, India. Currently working on a project titled – “Assess political risk of doing business with Zimbabwe”.
After reading above discussion flow I would like to know if anyone can guide me with some bullet points explaining political risk of doing business in Zimbabwe… Thanks a lot.onkar6787@yahoo.co.in
Regards – Onkar

Great ideas and questions coming in. I started a non-profit making company which from it will come a about 5-6 profit making business ventures. The nonprofit company offers various CSR Services. I am a 24year old Zimbabwe and am a highly innovative entreprenuerer. Anyone interested in joining can contact me at hchigama.lcedt@gmail.com.

Am looking for a business investor for my Cleaning Services and Detergent Manufacturing Firm, the company has been operating for the past 11 months but has lot of potential hence the need for an external investor to boost our capital base. If anyone is interested i am ready to provide all details to that effect.
Regards

My company has currently qualified for a franchise with a South African company and I am looking for a partner who can bring additional capital for the franchise. I am willing to cede some of my shares to a suitable partner. The company has also won a tender to supply goods through the franchise. For those who might be interested my email address is : sangorichard@gmail.com

A goal oriented team player wth solid academic and professional credentials frm higher state recognsed institn.Having worked in s.a for 5 years hv been offered franchse to zim @half price.willing to enter in partnshp hv all in place interested in viable bussns inneed nw to the zim economy email me 4 more details.

hi max
great article-informative! I’m looking for an investor or investors to inject cash into my business plan-i really have no idea were to begin! It is a proposal for a fine dining restaurant and lounge-i spent 6yrs in the US and would like to see the same standard of dining as in the US, in Zimbabwe!
Regards,
Rutendo

1) Perform a market research to find evidence of a target market that is feasible. If a target market is not present for your idea, no one would purchase your service or product. In the same way, if you do not estimate the target market size properly, you can miss out on some really good opportunities.

2) A need that prevails in the target market must be satisfied by your business idea. It must also satisfy the need at a cost the consumer is willing to give. Your business needs to be customer driven and should place customers needs first.

3) A thorough market analysis of the business environment you are going to work in needs to be done so as to find out potential opportunities or threats you might encounter. The economic, cultural, technological, legal and political factors must be evaluated.

this is totally true,take it from me this place is a gold mine,if u pick the right product nd target market,with alot of street smarts applied with business prowess u can make a decent dollar,so if u are interested in investing contact me

Hi Lorraine, i can see we are planning to do the same type of a business. I have got salon equipment, all i need is to partner with someone with start – up capital. Please get in touch so that we can talk. My email address is: ncube.silas@gmail.com

indeed Zimbabwe has many opportunities that are suffering due to the risk phobia gripping investors.i attended a project management exchange seminar organized by pm ideas South Africa and i am convinced the renaissance taking place in Africa will have Zimbabwe as its crown achievement.i am Zimbabwean and seeking a partner for a franchise/ food restaurant business i want to start. contact me on my email chidhakwas@cooltoad.com or call me on 263 736 702 958…….

hie there am looking for investors willing to invest in the in my construction company so as to create a Zimbabwean construction conglomerate .The ambition is to get finance to grow my into a fully intergrated construction and civil works firm with industry crossing synergies and footholds

The four broad construction industry sectors are
1] Material manufacturing
2] property and housing development
3] construction equipment
4] speculative land purchases
please get in touch for more in depth information

I have written a book entitled. ” Ideas Ideas Ideas” Develop your Ideas. The most powerful and practical idea manual ever written. and commenting on Simba’s post the people you are looking for I coined then Idea Value Holders(IVH) and you and Idea Financial Holder(IFH). There are always those with more Finance and less Ideas and the other way round, depending on occupation etc.
Here are the aims of the book and what it entails:
Armed with the tools and methods in this book nations can achieve their full potential
To unlock the minds of many to see clearly that most of their limitations are because many people do not ask themselves the right questions, leave things to chance and are affected mostly by what they do not know.
To make people see and understand the value of ideas
To help nations understand the importance of ideas in economic development
And according to the VISION of Ideas Basket International: To be the world Basket of workable and valuable ideas that foster change in the social and economic world by ensuring Ideas and dreams are realized i.e
To give people practical tools to creatively and systematically unbundle their ideas.
To facilitate people in making a cumulative contribution to our world out of love by fulfilling their destinies.
The final major intention of writing the book is to leave a legacy an Afrocentric inherentance in particular for the next generation giving a blue print a snap into the new world of tapping into Ideas (Intellectual property) coupled with brick and mortar.
To foster change in the social and economic world by ensuring Ideas and dreams are realized.
The underlying theme behind the whole writing of the book is simply put this way “ Don’t die with your ideas or Don’t be caught dead with your Ideas”

People are affected by a similar patterns of things that prevent them from achieving their goals and dreams and in order to understand a thing you need to fully understand its origin.
In this book I take reader from the myriad galaxy of ideas , dymystifying the differents myths about ideas.
Plainly showing in layman terms what an idea is and addressing common questions like : Can an idea be stolen, what do ideas mean to me, What is the legal representation of Ideas, How can one protect and benefit from their gifts and Ideas, What are the pitfalls entered in growing ideas in general, who are Idea midwives or catalysts to me, What are the most common deadly idea Killers, what critical things do Ideas need to grow. What are the basic definition of an Idea in relation to the individual, to society and to the world at large.

Finally this book takes the reader into a journey from the obscure, the unstructured world of imagination to the structured world we call reality. It clearly shows the generic and in layman terms explains the nature of Ideas from womb to tomb.

It answers questions most people ask subsconsciously but never quite saw a text book which addresses these issues.

I am looking for a business partner. I want to open up a hair salon business in either Harare or Bulawayo. I have got all the required equipment (boxed and brand new) to start and run a hair salon. All i need is someone with start up capital. If interested u can contact me on the following email address: ncube.silas@gmail.com

lam looking for investors who
are interested in investing in Zimbabwe.We can set up a distributoship outlet of your products but be willing to bring them to Zimbabwe.lam also looking for investors interested in Mining
,infrstructure etc lam also willing to be your Business Represantative In Zimbabwe email enosden@gmail.com

I am looking for investors in Mining sector.The diamond claim was pegged.What we are looking for is the Capital and the equuipment then we enter into partnership after you are satisfied.Another claim is a gold mine.If interested contact me on emaremba@yahoo.comCell.00263777817849

I’m looking for someone interested in the farming business. Someone prepared to manage farming activities on a full time basis and is prepared to stay on the farm 24/7. I will provide the capital. The land is available and the other person becomes the managing partner.

i m looking for some willing invest in motor spars in kadoma i m currently running a motor cycle spares shop and i have got extra space and i have operating for more than a year now if interested call me 0772 951 661 or email me tendaishemagede@gmail.com

I am a well connected marketer. Should there be anybody who would like to distribute their product in Zimbabwe I am willing to assist at a commission. If interested in trying the zim market email me on tbowora@yahoo.com

In order to work 50 weeks a year, you’re going
to have to work 30 weeks; in order to work 30 weeks, you’ll likely have to work
10. If I knew how to bake cookies, I would do that
and send over a care package but Im much better at telling jokes
so I go there and entertain, shake hands and thank the men and women who serve our country.

After you do all this, you are ready to start performing in front of people for money.

[…] Investing In Zimbabwe and How Business Opportunity Works … – Jan 06, 2011 · When it comes to investing in Zimbabwe, there’s a simple truth that successful entrepreneurs have learned and smart investors will agree with… […]